Playing The Akai Ewi Usb Electronic Wind Instrument

I must admit, the first time I unboxed the instrument, I was amazed at the build quality. It has some heft, the keys are properly and ergonomically placed and you know Akai really took their time to perfect this wind controller. But as a long time saxophone player, the first time I actually played some scales, I was quite disappointed - it didn't feel like a saxophone. I was beginning to regret my purchase and thought about exchanging it for the WX5. So I gave it a few more days. Days turned to weeks, and I am beginning to appreciate this instrument. Keep practicing those scales, breathing with the mouthpiece and you realize how this is such an amazing wind controller. I made a mistake thinking that this is a replacement for a saxophone in an apartment situation. In reality, you should think about how this instrument can be an extension to your musical endeavors. The possibilities you can do with the sounds and playability are endless. There are a few usable synths prebuilt, but I suggest using the Akai EWI 5000 Editor to really play and edit your sounds then save it to the user bank. Also there are synths out there that can be used if you plug the EWI as just a midi wind controller; unfortunately you can't upload other synth sounds into the controller. Definitely give it some time to get used to the instrument especially moving from one octave to another. Keep practicing and you'll appreciate that there's hardly any moving parts here. I was opposed at it first since horns have that tactile and key feedback. But with the touch sensitivity, it really felt I was playing an instrument from the future. Again, you just have to get used to it - think about when mobile phones shift from physical keyboards to the modern phones we have today. And here I am today still keeping my purchase and writing a review. I thank Akai for making a top-notch wind controller and continuing the support for the modern electronic wind musician.

I used this to wirelessly connect an Akai EWI 4000s to iOS synthesizer apps. The MD-BT01 has worked flawlessly.

Mine came in perfect condition. The snare is far from weak. The amp/speaker is not weak either - it is at least as loud as the regular acoustic instrument, and mine is certainly louder, so that full volume is a bit too much. Besides, you can plug it into an amp or mic it if you need to - like any other cajon. The velocity sensitivity works great, and is completely adjustable. The only sounds that sound electronic are the few sounds that are supposed to sound electronic. The 20 settings that are acoustic sound great, and the 10 electronic sounds are so much fun to play with. You don't have to hit it so precisely. You certainly want the triggers localized, because you don't want to always hit the triggered sounds. That way, instead of the basically two sounds you normally get from a cajon, you can get many more varieties. I bought this for use in my professional band, and I'm glad I did. I would do it again. My drummer can now accompany me when I play what used to be solo gigs, when schlepping drums would not be appropriate. We can fit into more venues with this thing. That was the original reason for my purchase. Now - I am not saying that this is the best cajon on the market - that's a personal choice. I am saying that the instrument I received is of high quality, is very useful, and I have no regrets. I look forward to hearing what the future iterations of this great idea will sound like.

Beautiful, heavy stand. I like the heavy, as it is unlikely to tip over in the wind when playing outdoors. Very well made, should last forever.

the keyboard stickers are a superb way of helping a starter to master and improving in playing an instrument by learning the different keys. my granddaughter was able to greatly improve her memory skills of the notes through this method.

Hours and hours of fun whizz by when playing this instrument. The famous Elektron sound quality is present and the interface/workflow takes close to no time to get acclimated to. The physical workmanship of the instrument is plastic and lightweight, yet sturdy. The only cons I see are the somewhat limiting 6 track maximum (would have liked to have 8-10) and lack of individual outs. Overall, this product represents a good value for the low price point.

I generally play with one other person through this, but occasionally we get guests who either sing or need to plug an instrument in. This can accommodate all of us and we use the BT400 not the 600. We use a Mackie thump speaker out of the subwoofer port which helps with fullness of the sound, not that it's bad to begin with. The only amp we used to bring along with our old PA was the bass amp but don't even need that anymore. Awesome sounding, portable and all the basic functionality you would need for a two or three person crew. The portability is awesome, we only use when when we play out as we have a dinosaur Peavy PA for practice that stays where it is. I use this Yamaha as speakers for my computer if I know we have a lot of time between gigs. Awesome for just playing music or trying karaoke at home too. If you're going to be playing a passive instrument through channels 5-8, you're going to want a booster.

I'm a musician and video myself a lot playing my instrument. I needed a remote so I don't always have to get up and press the record button between takes. Some reviewers have said that the setup was complicated. Not for me. I'm using a Canon M50 and the remote was up and running within a few minutes. I'd also like to point out that it's really small, which is great so it can disappear easily in my pocket when I film myself.

This replaces a Seiko model with electronic sounds. Voice 1 on the Korg is very similar to an old school wind up metronome. I also like the timer functionality. Makes practicing more enjoyable

I like wind instruments. This is that and so much more. Nice features make playing sound like the real thing. Tried it all but haven't used it as a midi controller yet